Calif. proposal aims to ban involuntary servitude in prisons

[Jack Aylmer]

A PROPOSAL ON CALIFORNIA’S BALLOT COULD END WHAT CRITICS CALL GOVERNMENT-SANCTIONED SLAVERY IN PRISONS.

THE STATE IS ONE OF 20 WHERE INCARCERATED PEOPLE CAN BE FORCED TO DO WORK RANGING FROM KITCHEN AND JANITORIAL DUTIES TO FIGHTING WILDFIRES.

THEY TYPICALLY EARN LESS THAN 1 DOLLAR PER HOUR. 

CALIFORNIA STATE REPRESENTATIVE LORI WILSON AND THE STATE’S LEGISLATIVE BLACK CAUCUS ARE BEHIND ….

‘PROPOSITION 6’ … WHICH WOULD STOP FORCED LABOR AS A CRIMINAL PUNISHMENT IN THE STATE’S PRISONS AND PREVENT INMATES WHO REFUSE TO WORK FROM BEING PENALIZED. 

THE 13TH AMENDMENT TO THE U-S CONSTITUTION DID ABOLISH SLAVERY AND INVOLUNTARY SERVITUDE MORE THAN A CENTURY AGO – BUT *NOT* FOR PEOPLE WHO HAVE BEEN CONVICTED OF CRIMES. 

WILSON’S PROPOSAL WOULD ALLOW INMATES TO CHOOSE THEIR JOBS AND GIVE THEM ACCESS TO PROGRAMS THAT SHE SAYS WOULD HELP THEM THRIVE.

SUPPORTERS OF ‘PROP 6’ SAY FORCING THE INMATES TO WORK IS BOTH A MORAL ISSUE AND A PUBLIC SAFETY CONCERN.

HOWEVER, THEY’RE STRUGGLING TO EXPLAIN THE PROPOSAL TO VOTERS AS ANOTHER CRIME RELATED MEASURE, PROP 36 GETS A LOT OF ATTENTION.

PROP 36 WOULD INCREASE PENALTIES FOR REPEAT OFFENDERS OF CERTAIN THEFT AND DRUG-RELATED CRIMES.

WHILE THE TWO MEASURES AREN’T DIRECTLY CONNECTED – PROP 6 BACKERS WORRY THEIR MEASURE GETS LOST IN THE TOUGH-ON-CRIME THEME OF THE ‘YES ON 36’ CAMPAIGN.

AN EARLY OCTOBER POLL FROM ‘THE PUBLIC POLICY INSTITUTE OF CALIFORNIA’ FOUND THAT 41 PERCENT OF VOTERS SURVEYED SUPPORTED ‘PROP 6’.

FOR SAN I’M … JACK ALYMER. 

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